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*San Diego Fireworks FAIL: What Went Wrong?

In the biggest fireworks fail since the invention of Viagra, Port of San Diego officials apologized for a “technical glitch” that turned its 4th of July “Big Bay Boom” into a premature explosion:

Yep, all the works went off at once about 5 minutes before the 9 p.m. start time of the show above Glorietta Bay between Coronado and San Diego, according to organizers. The rest of the show did not go on. But the adolescent oopsy lit up the local sky like a nuclear blast (see photo).

The Port issued an apology via Twitter:

[Warning: NSFW language]:

Organizers said tests before the show, which they billed as one of the largest Independence Day fireworks events in the nation, turned out fine, but …

… for some reason a signal malfunctioned and the entire display, including multiple fireworks barges floating in the bay, blew its proverbial loads at once. According to a statement from Big Bay Boom officials:

Credit: @BIGBALLER

Credit: @BIGBALLER

Approximately 5 minutes before the show was to start, a signal was sent to the barges that would set the timing for the rest of the show after the introduction. There were a number of preliminary test signals sent hours and minutes leading up to the show. All these signals tested properly according to Garden State Fireworks, the fireworks company that provides the show.

The Garden State Fireworks team will be working throughout the night to determine what technical problem caused the entire show to be launched in about 15 seconds.

We apologize for the brevity of the show and the technical difficulties.


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A Twitter user named BEN BALLER posted an amazing photo (above) of the one-shot show and soon twitted this:

[Added at 11:51 p.m.]: Saying that the show burned out in an instant was an exaggeration. Reports indicate that the blast lasted about 30 seconds.

Still, there was frustration on the water as some folks waited all day for the display, according to City News Service.

Officials tried to get the word out shortly after the explosions that the rest of the display was canceled.

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[@dennisjromero / djromero@laweekly.com / @LAWeeklyNews]

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